Damper securing means



Nov. 10, 1964 A. CHALOKA 3,156,446

DAMPER SECURING MEANS Filed Feb. 27, 1963 IN VENTOR.

Maw 41mm United States Patent 3,156,446 DAMPER SECURING MEANS Andrew Chaloka, Rahway, N.J., assignor to L. J. Wing Mfg. Co., Division of Aero-Flow Dynamics, Inc., Linden, N.J., a corporation of New York Filed Feb. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 261,402 Claims. (Cl. 251-298) This invention relates to apparatus for controlling the direction of flow of a gas, such as air which is heated or cooled, and, more particularly, to means for securing the dampers which-control the flow of the air.

An object of the present invention is to provide improved means for securing a damper, having diverging arms, to a movable rod for moving the damper into various air-flow control positions.

A further object is generally to provide improved means for controlling the direction of air flow in a heater or cooler.

The above other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of the invention considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical view of part of a heater in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, on a larger scale, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is across section, on a larger scale, taken on line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of arrow 4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the heater 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is of the type shown and described in the US. patent application of Walter Horn and Frank P. Vultaggio, Serial No. 65,208 filed October 26, 1960, now Patent No. 3,107,724 issued October 22, 1963, as signed to the assignee of the present invention. Briefly described, the heater has a front opening 12 which is provided with a series of elongated dampers 14 which extend transversely across the front opening of the heater and control the direction of flow of the air, as more fully described in said application.

Each damper is made of sheet metal and is generally V-shape in cross section with a slight curvature to each diverging arm 16 of the damper. The opposite ends of the damper are secured to an adjacent pin or rod 18 which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis and which is operated automatically, in response to the temperature of the air, by a linkage system 20 driven by motors 21 and 21a, as fully described in the above mentioned application. It will be understood that the pins for each damper are in longitudinal axial alignment with each other.

In accordance with the present invention the damper 14 is secured to the rotary pin 18 in a manner whereby the air flows over the ends of the damper with a minimum of restriction and, in addition, in a manner which obviates the effects of any irregularities in the shape of the dampers which might otherwise adversely affect its correct positioning and securing to its operating rods. Moreover, the securing means is easy to manufacture and assemble and permits the use of a lock washer to provide excellent securement even though the rod is round and the damper has arcuate portions which would normally preclude the effective use of a lock Washer and bolt.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, the securing means includes an oblong shaped member 22 having a central aperture 24 through which the shank of a bolt 26 extends and is screwed into the threaded hole 28 provided in the pin 18. Member 22 has a pair of diverging wings 30 which overlie adjacent parts of arms 16 of the damper and, in the locked or secured position 3,156,446 Patented Nov. 10, 1964 of the damper to the pin, the wings are in surface-to-surface gripping contact with the arms. More specifically, member 22 is preferably formed by stamping and normally has fabrication burs 32 which dig into the adjacent parts of the arms of the damper as member 22 is tightened against the damper by bolt 26.

Member 22 is also provided with a raised central portion 34 which has a flat bearing surface 36 that surrounds the opening 24 in the member. This flat bearing surface permits the use of a normal lock washer 38 and permits the bearing of the flat underside of the screw head 40 against the lock washer which, in turn, bears against flat surface 36 to transmit the tightening force of the screw to the round pin 28 to lock the arcuate damper in position between member 22 and the pin. In other words, the full tightening or locking force of the bolt is transformed from a flat surface to a round surface through the use of member 22. Moreover, the diverging wings 30 of the member automatically forces the damper to correctly position itself automatically as the bolt is tightened so that arms 16 of the damper are substantially symmetrically positioned on opposite sides of the pin with the terminal marginal edge portions 42 of the damper laterally spaced substantially equal distances from the opposite sides of the pin, even though the damper might have had irregularities in shape due to imperfect fabrication. It will be understood that the damper is provided with an aperture 44 at each of its ends through which the shank of the bolt extends.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and that certain changes in the form and arrangement of parts and in the specific manner of practicing the invention may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for controlling the direction of flow of a gas, comprising a damper V shaped cross-section and having a pair of diverging arms interconnected by an apex portion, a pivot pin mounted for movement to position said damper in a plurality of positions, said pin longitudinally contacting the inner surface of the apex portion of said damper, and means for securing said damper to said pin, said securing means comprising an apertured member having a pair of diverging inclined wings overlying said ape-x portion of said damper and in surface-tosurface contact with said apex portion in gripping relation therewith, and a fastener extending through the aperture in said apertured member and through an opening formed therein said damper and secured to said pin for holding said member against said damper and the latter against said pin.

2. Apparatus for controlling the direction of flow of a gas, comprising a damper of V shaped cross-section and having a pair of diverging arms interconnected by an apex portion, a pivot pin mounted for movement to position said damper in a plurality of positions, said pin longitudinally contacting the inner surface of said apex portion, and means for securing said damper to said pin, said securing means comprising an apertured member having a pair of diverging wings overlying said apex portion of said damper and in surface-to-surface contact with said apex portion in gripping relation therewith, said apertured member having a flat bearing surface positioned between said wing parts, and fastener means bearing against said flat surface and extending through said apertured member and through an opening formed in said damper and secured to said pin for holding said member against said damper and the latter against said pin.

3. Apparatus for controlling the direction of flow of a gas, comprising an elongated relatively thin sheet member having a generally V-shaped cross section including a pair of diverging arms, a pair of longitudinally spaced axially aligned pivot pins mounted for rotation about their respective longitudinal axes, and means for securing said damper to said pins at correspondingly longitudinally spaced parts of said damper, said securing means for each part of said damper comprising an apertured member having a pair of diverging wings overlying said diverging arms of said damper and in surface-to-surface gripping contact therewith, said apertured member having a flat bearing surface spaced from said wings, and fastener means securing said apertured member and said pin together with said damper therebetween.

4. Apparatus for controlling the direction of flow of a gas, comprising an elongated relatively thin sheet member having a generally V-shaped cross section including a pair of diverging arms, a pair of longitudinally spaced axially aligned pivot pins mounted for rotation about their respective longitudinal axes, and means for securing said damper to said pins at correspondingly longitudinal spaced parts of said damper, said securing means for each part of said damper comprising an oblong apertured member having a pair of diverging wings overlying said diverging arms of said damper and in surface-to-surface gripping contact therewith, said apertured member having a flat bearing surface spaced from said wings, and fastener means securing said apertured member and said pin together with said damper therebetween, said fastener means comprising a bolt extending through said apertured member and said damper and crewed into said pin, and a lock washer positioned between the head of said bolt and said bearing surface and in surface-to-surface bearing contact with said head and said surface.

5. Apparatus for controlling the direction of flow of a gas, comprising an elongated relatively thin sheet member having a generally V-shaped cros section including a pair of diverging arms, a pair of longitudinally spaced axially aligned pivot pins mounted for rotation about their respective longitudinal axes, and means for securing said damper to said pins at correspondingly longitudinally spaced parts of said damper, said securing means for each part of said damper comprising an apertured member having a pair of diverging wings overlying said diverging arms of said damper and in surface-to-surface gripping contact therewith, said apertured member having a flat bearing surface spaced from said wings, and fastener means securing said apertured member and said pin together with said damper therebetween, said wings and said arms being positioned at opposite sides of said fastener means, and said arms terminating in parts which are at opposite sides of said pin and are laterally spaced therefrom.

6. Apparatus for controlling the direction of flow of a gas, comprising an elongated relatively thin sheet member having a generally V-shaped cross section including a pair of diverging arms, a pair of longitudinally spaced axialiy aligned pivot pins mounted for rotation about their respective longitudinal axes, and means for securing said damper to said pins at correspondingly longitudinally spaced parts of said damper, said securing means for each part of said damper comprising an oblong apertured member having a pair of diverging wings overlying said diverging arms of said damper and in surface to-surface gripping contact therewith, said apertured member having a fiat bearing surface spaced from said wings, and fastener means securing said apertured member and said pin together with said damper therebetween, said fastener means comprising a bolt extending through said apertured member and said damper and screwed into said pin, and a lock washer positioned between the head of said bolt and said bearing surface and in surface-to-surface bearing contact with said head and said surface, said wings and said arms being positioned at opposite sides of said fastener means, and said arms terminating in parts which are at opposite sides of said pin and are laterally spaced therefrom.

7. Apparatus for controlling the direction of flow of a gas, comprising a damper having a pair of diverging arms, a pivot pin contacting the inner side of said damper and mounted for movement to position said damper in a plurality of positions, and means for securing said damper to said pin, said securing means comprising an apertured member having a pair of diverging wings overlying the outer side of said damper and in surface-to-surface contact with said damper in gripping relation therewith, and a fastener extending through said aperture member and through said damper and secured to said pin for holding said member against said damper and the latter against said pin, said wings and said arms being positioned at opposite sides of said fastener, and said arms terminating in parts which are at opposite sides of said pin and are laterally spaced therefrom.

8. A relatively thin sheet member having a generally V-shaped cross-section including a pair of diverging arms interconnected by an apex portion of curved cross-section, a pin of round cross-section contacting the inner surface of said interconnecting portion and extending longitudinally thereof, said pin being formed with a diametric opening, said interconnecting portion having an opening registering with said opening in said pin, a locking member comprising a fiat top portion formed with an opening registering with said registering openings, and with downwardly and outwardly extending wings contacting outer surfaces of said interconnecting portion, and a securing member having a flat head pressing down on said fiat portion, and a shank passing through said registering openings and said shank gripping said pin at said opening therein.

9. The combination of claim 8, said locking member having shoulders at opposite sides of said flat portion between said fiat portion and said wings of said locking member.

10. The combination of claim 8, said shank being screw threaded and engaging screw threads formed in said opening of said pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 589,610 McPhail Sept. 7, 1897 2,863,374 Hinder! Dec. 9, 1958 3,111,300 Boone Nov. 19, 1963 

1. APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF A GAS, COMPRISING A DAMPER V SHAPED CROSS-SECTION AND HAVING A PAIR OF DIVERGING ARMS INTERCONNECTED BY AN APEX PORTION, A PIVOT PIN MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT TO POSITION SAID DAMPER IN A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS, SAID PIN LONGITUDINALLY CONTACTING THE INNER SURFACE OF THE APEX PORTION OF SAID DAMPER, AND MEANS FOR SECURING SAID DAMPER TO SAID PIN, SAID SECURING MEANS COMPRISING AN APERTURED MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF DIVERGING INCLINED WINGS OVERLYING SAID APEX PORTION OF SAID DAMPER AND IN SURFACE-TOSURFACE CONTACT WITH SAID APEX PORTION IN GRIPPING RELATION THEREWITH, AND A FASTENER EXTENDING THROUGH THE APERTURE IN SAID APERTURED MEMBER AND THROUGH AN OPENING FORMED THEREIN SAID DAMPER AND SECURED TO SAID PIN FOR HOLDING SAID MEMBER AGAINST SAID DAMPER AND THE LATTER AGAINST SAID PIN. 